SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier was asked last month — in a no-nonsense, almost perturbed fashion — why top prospect Will Smith wasn’t already in the pro ranks, like Patrick Marleau was when he was 18.
After all, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli, the only three players selected ahead of Smith in last June’s draft in Nashville, are all in the NHL. Did the Sharks fail to do their due diligence on Smith, Grier was asked in so many words. Why is he at Boston College and not in San Jose?
“The big thing for (Smith) going back to school wasn’t the talent. He’s as talented as Leo or Fantilli. It’s just the body,” Grier said of the 6-foot, 181-pound Smith. “If you look at Patty, he’s a physical freak. He’s a marvel. As an 18-year-old, he looked like a 27-year-old. When you look at Will, he looks like an 18-year-old kid.
“It’s a man’s league. We want to make sure that not only Will but all the prospects, it’s not so much the talent that we’re worried about. It’s about them being ready mentally and physically to handle the rigors of the NHL.”
Which brings up the question. When will Smith be ready to turn pro?
This spring is a possibility.
Smith is enjoying a solid freshman season so far with 38 points in 25 games, a points-per-game average of 1.52 that ranks sixth in NCAA Division I. He’s the second-leading scorer on a Golden Eagles team, already loaded with NHL draft picks, that is 19-5-1 and among the best in the country.
The latest the season can end for Boston College is April 13 when the NCAA’s Frozen Four wraps up in St. Paul, Minn. A deep run for the Golden Eagles and a national title isn’t out of the question.
Boston College forward Will Smith (6) makes his bid on Boston U. goaltender Mathieu Caron (62) as BU takes on BC in men’s hockey at Conte Forum on Jan. 26. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
Grier said that at some point he, Smith, his representative, and other members of the Sharks’ front office will sit down and figure out what’s best for him
“I know he’s got he’s got plans to try and win it all, and probably won’t, because of BU,” said a smiling Grier, a former Boston University Terrier. “But after that, we’ll talk and see how he’s feeling about his game and how he feels about himself physically.”
Last month at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden, Smith came alive in the medal round and played a significant role for Team USA as the Americans went on to capture gold.
Smith was projected to be a major offensive contributor for the under-20 team but had just three points in the Americans’ first four games in the preliminary round. That’s when he was challenged by Todd Marchant, the Sharks’ director of player development, to take his game to another level.
Smith responded with two points in each of the next three games, including two assists in Team USA’s 6-2 win over host Sweden in the Gold Medal game.
“I said, ‘Big players on the big stage step up,’ and I thought he did,” Marchant said.
Marchant said when Smith was interviewing with NHL teams at least year’s combine, the teenager told them, “When the big games are there … I show up. I’m that guy. I relish those opportunities.”
The Sharks have never drafted a player who has come to the NHL after just one year of college. This past year, only one player fit that description as Logan Cooley joined the Arizona Coyotes after one year at Minnesota. Players like Joe Pavelski, Charlie Coyle, Josh Norris, and Mario Ferraro all turned pro after two years.
The Sharks also have to decide whether it makes sense for them to sign Smith to a three-year entry-level contract whenever Boston College’s season comes to an end. Via the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, a player who is who leaves college, signs an ELC, and joins an NHL team burns the first year of the deal.
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Theoretically, Smith could win a national title with Boston College in Minnesota, hop on a flight to Edmonton the next day, and join the Sharks for their game against Connor McDavid and the Oilers on April 15. The Sharks finish the regular season on April 18 in Calgary.
“I don’t think there’s any question that Will has the hockey sense and the skill level to play in the National Hockey League. There’s no question,” said Marchant, who was with the Anaheim Ducks when Trevor Zegras turned pro after one year at BU. “But we don’t want our prospects just to play in the NHL, we want them to have success. There’s a big difference.
“For someone of Will’s caliber of player, we’re not going to put him in a situation where he cannot have success. So it’s all about taking one step at a time and his play this second half of the year — and what he wants to do — will dictate the next step.”
United States’ Gabe Perreault (34) celebrates his goal with teammate Will Smith (6) during the first period of the gold medal game against Sweden at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)